


Confession

by thedragontongue



Category: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
Genre: Gen, James Kidd finally opens up a bit more to Edward Kenway about being transgender, essentially Kenway tries to be a therapist but he's a terrible one, transgender talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 17:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7276711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedragontongue/pseuds/thedragontongue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After pursuing Laurens Prins in Kingston, Edward Kenway and James Kidd return to Nassau to talk in an abandoned fishing shack near the shore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was the afternoon, stormy, and raining something fierce. Neither paid no mind though and continued walking on to their destination close to shore. Kidd opened the door to reveal an almost dark room with two chairs and a table with a single candle burning low on top.

He motioned over to Kenway to take a seat.

“Whats this?” Kenway asked slyly with a smile, looking around before he sat down on one of the chairs. The room was of ample space and decorum but only small enough for two. “----An interrogation or a date?”

Kidd closed the door then replied with a forced smile in return. “Neither. It’s a confession.”

Edward became concerned and wondered if it was due to the secret that Kidd revealed previously. “Aren’t you supposed to go to church for that?” He questioned.

“Don’t think any church would fancy a devil like me talking about my life anytime soon.” James said as he sat down and looked at Edward straight in the eye.  “Besides they especially don’t have drink at the time when you really need it.” He pointed to underneath the table bringing out two dark bottles filled with either rum or wine.

“You want some?” He offered.

Edward refused considering the circumstance they were in. “I would need a clear conscious to understand what we’d be talking about---it wouldn’t be right if I did.”

James nodded as he only took one out for himself and put the other bottle back underneath the table as he began to talk. “I’m telling you this because I trust you mate.”

“I know that.” Kenway replied sternly.  “And I’m here to listen---so go on then.”

“My mother put the fear of god in me.” James spoke slowly, remembering every detail as he talked in-between sips of drink. “Saying it was retribution for my father’s crimes. Never knew the old man myself but my mother she made me never forget who he was and what he did to ruin our family to smithereens.”  
  
Edward shifted in his chair uncomfortably seeing the distress rise in Mary’s face as he listened intently.   
  
James then rose his voice to a higher feminine pitch as he talked.

“From morning to sundown, it was always: _Mary don’t slouch. Mary be a lady. Mary mind your manners. Don’t play with that Mary. Don’t play with them Mary. Mary you’re a girl not a boy. You’re a girl_.”

  
Edward raised an eyebrow at Mary’s honesty.

“The thing was though; I’ve never felt like one, I never was-----” James confessed to him while his voice began to falter.

“If this is too hard for you explain,” Edward began solemnly, trying to find the exact words to say. “---you don’t have to tell me.”

“No. I do have to tell you Kenway.” James looked back at his friend earnestly. “I trust you and we’ve been through hell and back so far.”

He grinned. “Quite true I suppose; so go on, continue the story. I’m all ears.”

“To hell with it then, aye? I’ll be honest to my word.”

Edward nodded in approval.

“Well my mother and I, we lived near the harbor docks for our entire life. When I was little my favorite part of it was seeing all the different types of ships, people, and cargo who passed through our part of town.”

“Sounds quaint, dare I say even charming.” Edward snickered.

“---God, I wish you could have seen it Kenway! It was beautiful. When I was young I’d always tell myself that I’d take a closer look, you know, get to know everyone and everything a little bit better. Then when I was grown a bit more, I’d sneak away late at night in boy’s clothes and meddle around in other people’s affairs.”

“Were you pickpocket too?”

“Of course!”  
  
“I knew it.”  Edward laughed.

Eventually Kidd’s smile turned sour as he continued his story. “Then it all changed…”

“What did?” Kenway questioned.

“My father went missing and I got found out.” Kidd replied nonchalantly as he took another long sip of drink.

Kenway listened.

“She was so cruel afterwards, she called me nasty things and even told me I was going to hell.”

“So what did you do?” Kenway said.

“I ran away.”

“Well that solved that, Mary. You should put the past behind you---”

  
“ No Kenway. You don’t understand. No one should ever do that, to make someone else feel as if they were something unnatural: like a freak, a monster, an abomination---a disgrace. It’s not right, to think that anyone should be treated lesser for just being whom they really are; yet they’re shamed into thinking by others that they were a mistake… that I was a mistake. I am not a mistake Kenway.” James swore to him. “I’m not, I-----!”

“Kidd.” Edward said, cutting off Mary’s rant.  
  
“What?” Kidd yelled back incredulously.

“You’re crying…” He replied softly.

James huffed out a sigh, not realizing until it was too late that he’d already begun to cry. He put out a hand to his face to wipe away the tears falling on his cheek as quick as he could.

“Fuck you.” Kidd whispered, “Fuck you  Kenway, I trusted you.” Biting his lip while trying to hold back his tears trying to salvage what dignity he still had while leaving the shack.

“Mary!” Edward called out to her, pleading, as he tried to follow her. “Wait, come back----I’m sorry! James, mate, you misunderstand me.”

“There isn’t anything to misunderstand about you ignorant piss-headed lout, but my name’s not Mary. Its James. Not right now, not ever, and certainly not anymore.”  
  
And the last Edward Kenway saw of James Kidd was him disappearing into a bustling crowd of the shanty town nearby.


	2. Chapter 2

After searching for nearly two hours, Edward Kenway found James Kidd high aloft on a branch of a tree on the other side of Nassau’s beach staring out towards the open ocean.  The storm finally passed, the waves and winds were calmer now. The moon shone down onto the world illuminating everything. Kenway walked over to where Kidd was and stood there. Hoping he’d be allowed to join him.  

“Well hello there!”  Kenway shouted down from below. “Mind if I join you?”

Kidd huffed. “ Aye. Took you long enough to find me.”

Kennway agreed to that statement as he climbed up to join him but didn’t saying anything due to embarrassment. Somehow Kidd alluded him yet again.

Now sitting together side by side, Edward took the time to say what needed to be said.

“I want to apologize for my actions.”

Kidd listened.

 “Even though I don’t quite understand, I’m willing to learn and be there for you when you need me.  If you don’t trust me anymore for what I’ve done, I completely understand-----”

“You’re forgiven Mate.” Kidd replied, cutting him off mid-speech. “I told you who I was because I trusted you. Honestly, it hurt when you just pushed my feelings aside like nothing. You know nothing on what it was like for me in that situation. However, I’m glad you’ve apologized for your mistakes and made a commitment to do better. You’re a good man, Kenway.  A jerk sometimes but you do have some good in you in that heart of yours.”

“Ah,” Kenway thought outloud. “I wouldn’t be so sure. I think I’m just decent---that’s all.”

Kidd shrugged. “You know, I almost would’ve made you my own personal target after that scuff we had tonight about me telling you about my little secret and all too. I thought about it at least…”  
  
“Oh is that so?” Edward mocked him with a grin. “Well, looks like I’d have to keep both eyes open then. That or at least somehow leave the West Indies before dawn arrives.”

  
“Oh don’t push your luck.” James smiled. “Considering that I could just end you right now.”

Kidd then pushed Kenway from the branch they sat on and saw him drop to the ground in pain.

“Ouch! What the fuck mate?”

Kidd laughed. “Oh my lord, you should’ve seen the look on your face when you fell! Your face was red as hell and you were about to scream like a baby!  ”

“Pft. Well I deserved that, didn’t I?” Kenway squeaked out, clutching his sides in agony as he writhed in the sand.  
  
“Aye, you really did.” James said as he laughed on how the circumstances of the night came about alright.  

Despite it all, James Kidd always got the last laugh.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago and never posted it till now. Don't worry, this story will have a happy ending. I promise.


End file.
